Improvement in harvesters



R. H. FISH ER.

Harvester.

Patented May 4, 1858.

'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

R. H. FISHER, OF OLAREMONT, NEWY HAMPSHIRE.

IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part fof Letters Patent h'o. 20,l5., dated May 4,1858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, R. H. FISHER, of Claremont, in the county of Sullivan and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain and Grass' Barvesters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this speciication, in which-r Figure l is a side sectional elevation of a harvester constructed according to my invention. m x, Fig. 2, shows the plane of section. Fig. 2 is a plan or top View ot' the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section ot' the same, taken in the line ad x', Fig. 2, Fig. 4is'a section of the device which drives the sickle, 1/ y, Fig.2, showing the plane of section. Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the joint which connects the finger' bar of the harvester with the main frame. .e .2, Fig. 2, shows the plane of section.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention consists, first, in a peculiar arrangement of the main frame, whereby the same may be readily raised and lowered andthe mechanism which operates the sickle thrown in and out of gear with the driving-wheel with the. greatest facility; second, in a novel way ot' attaching the nger-bar to the main frame, whereby the front edge of the finger-bar and sickle may be more or less elevated, as circumstances may require. v

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, -I will proceed .to describe it.

A represents the main frame of the harvester, which is of rectangular or an approximate form, and through which the axle B passes loosely.

C C are the wheels, which are permanently attached to 'the axle, C being the drivin g-Wheel, and cogged or toothed at its inner periphery, as shown clearly in Fig. l.

D is the fork or hands to which draft-pole E is attached. The innerend ofthe fork or hands is attached by straps et to the axle B.

To the front `part ot' the hands D a springcatch, F, is attached. This catch attaches the front end ot' the hands to the front end of the main frame A, as shown clearly in Fig. l.

G is a sha1t,which is placed in the main frame A, and has apinion, b, on its outer end,

and two cams, c c, are placed on said shaft, the cams being within the frameA and working within slotted barsdththe upper ends of which are tted in a guide-bar, e, and the lower ends attached to a T-shaped lever, H, which is pivoted within the main frame A', as shown atf. The bars cl d are attached to the ends ot' the cross-head of the lever, and the end of the other part is pivoted to one endvot a connecting-rod, I, the opposite end of which is attached to the sickle J. The cams c c may be of' triangular or three-sided form, as shown in Fig. 4, and each cam works against a friction-roller, g, the rollers being fitted in the upper ends of the slots in the bars d d. The cams are placed on the shaft G in opposite positions relatively with each other, so that when the side of one cam is bearing against its roller the ypoint of the other cam will bear against its roller.

K is a collar, which is litted loosely on the axle B, and betweenone side of the frame A and a projection, h, on a bar, ,attached tothe main frame. The collarK has a spiral groove, j, made init, and a pin, k, which is attached to the axle B, tits in said groove. The collar K has a lever, L, attached to it.

M is a pulley, which is placed loosely on the axle B, and has a lever, N, attached to it.

To the periphery of the pulley M one end of a chan,Z, is attached, the opposite end of said chain being attached to the back or'lowerend ofthe main frame A.

O is the drivers seat, attached to the upper endotarod, m, which is attached to the axle by aastrap, a.

P is the finger-bar, on which the sickle J works. This finger-bar Pis attached to the lower part ofthe maint'rameAas follows: The

inner end of the linger-bar is recessed on its under side, and a corresponding recess is m'ade in the upper side ofthe lower end piece, n, ot' the main frame, and the finger-bar and end piece arelapped over each other, a semi-spherical projection, o, on the end piece, a, tittingin a corresponding aperture in the underside ot the finger-bar. Through the finger-bar and end piece screws p pass, and as some space is allowed between the finger-bar and end piece, the finger-bar resting on the projection 0, the front edge of the finger-bar, by adjusting the screws p, may be elevated or depressed, and consequently the front edge ofthe sickle .Las occasion may require. V

The operation is as follows: As the machine is drawn along the driving-wheel Crotates the pinion b and shaft Gr, and the cams c c, rotating within the slotted bars fl d, give an oscillating motion to the lever H and a reciprocating motion to the 'sickle J, which is sustained at a proper height from the ground in consequence of being connected to the hands D of the draft-pole E by the spring-catch F.

The pinion b may be thrown iu and out of gear with the wheel C by operating the lever L, said lever turning the collar Kand causing, in consequence ofthe pink fitting in the slotj in the collar, the main frame to move laterally' on the axle B.

The sickle J and the finger-bar P may be raised at any time by turning the pulley M so that the chain Z may act upon and draw up the back end of the main frame A, to which the finger-bar is attached.

By having the main frame A mounted as described it may be readily moved on the axle, and the mechanism which drives the sickle thrown in and out of gear with the drivingwheelwiththegreatestfaeility. Theinger-bar also, in consequence of being attached to the main frame, as shown, may be adjusted as devsired,so as to give the front edge of the sickle J the proper degree ot' inclination.

Having thus described my invention,whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. Mounting the main frame A on the axle B so that the frame may slide freely thereon, in connection with the spirally-slotted collar K, placed on the axle, and receiving a pin, 7s, attached to the axle, substantially as shown and described, whereby the mechanism which operates the sickle may, when desired,be read-- ily thrown in and out of gear with the drivingwheel.

2. Raising and lowering the sickleJ by mea-ns of the pulley M, placed loosely on the axle B, and the chain l, attached to the back part of the main frame and to the pulley, substantially as described.

3. Attaching the linger-har P to the main -frame A by overlapping the end of the fingerbar and the lower end piece, n, of the main frame, the ylinger-bar resting on a semi-spherical projection, 0, on the end piece, and adjusted by the screws p, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

R. H. FISHER.

Titnesses P. G. FREEMAN, SUMNER PUTNAM. 

